On the dynamics of open and closed loop reverse flow catalytic reactors

In this paper the dynamics of a reverse flow catalytic reactor with and without control are compared and discussed. The control system acts on the inlet gas temperature. Depending on flow direction the temperature is measured at one specific point at the inlet edges of the reactor. The dynamics of the closed-loop system is much more complex. In particular, varying set-point temperature, we found that the closed-loop system may admit periodic regimes with non-constant switching time which cannot be found in the open-loop one. The most intriguing dynamics of the closed-loop RFR is found to appear when a multiplicity of periodic regimes of the open-loop RFR is compatible with a single prescribed set-point temperature. Copyright © 2013, AIDIC Servizi S.r.l.